A landscape design leader since 1984.
Led by celebrated Principal Landscape Designers Duncan and Julia Brine, GardenLarge designs and installs naturalistic landscapes in the Hudson Valley and beyond. In tune with each landscape’s inherent sense of place, GardenLarge brings native plant expertise, a focus on seasonal interest, and structured naturalism to each project.
The BrineGarden
Situated on six rolling acres in Pawling, NY, The BrineGarden is an acclaimed intuitive naturalistic landscape design on a grand and subtle scale.
On GardenLarge: Industry Leaders
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Douglas Tallamy
“We wanted to thank you for your wonderful tour of your garden… We hope your approach to gardening spreads far and wide.”
Doug is a frequent speaker and author of “Bringing Nature Home”, “Nature’s Best Hope,” and most recently, “The Nature of Oaks”. Since Rachel Carson, no one has been a more persuasive advocate for the environment.
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Thomas Christopher
“This afternoon I sat down with the current issue of Connecticut Gardener and found an article about one of my favorite gardens. Steve Silk has written a great tribute to Duncan and Julia Brine’s lovely and unconventional garden in Pawling, NY. Somehow, while breaking all the rules, the Brines have created a horticultural classic.”
“The work that Duncan and Julia have done has been an inspiration to the rest of us and have had ripple effects throughout American horticulture and gardening. And the two of them, so talented and so much fun, are the best ambassadors for the new era in how we relate to our landscape.”
Thomas is a widely awarded author of more than a dozen garden books and host of the ecologically focused “Growing Greener” podcast.
After attending Duncan’s seminar at the New York Botanical Garden, Thomas featured Duncan on his podcast: “Designing the Naturalistic Garden.”
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Ruth Clausen
“Duncan and Julia have a well-respected business in landscape design in and around Pawling, NY and beyond. The garden is open to the public from time to time and is definitely worth a visit, not least for all the great ideas that have been incorporated to make a cohesive whole.”
Ruth is a prolific garden book writer, author of “Deer Resistant Native Plants of the Northeast”, with Greg Tepper as well as “50 Beautiful Deer Resistant Plants”, which features The BrineGarden on its cover.
Meet the Designers
For decades, experienced Landscape Designers, Duncan & Julia Brine, have worked throughout their beloved Hudson Valley, establishing relationships with their clients and the region’s unique landscape.
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Principal Landscape DesignerDuncan is a Princeton-educated landscape designer who worked in theatre and film before founding GardenLarge 1984. Specializing in residential gardens, his work has taken him from rooftop gardens in Manhattan to rural properties throughout the East Coast. A published author, Duncan leads a Naturalistic Landscape Design Seminar at the New York Botanical Garden in the winter.
Photo ©Rob Cardillo
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Principal Landscape Designer.Julia attended Harvard University with a focus on Visual and Environmental Studies before going on to receive her MFA in painting from the Maryland Institute. A botanical artist and a classically trained musician, Julia brings both a depth of interdisciplinary vision and an exacting attention to detail to her work.
Photo ©Lori Adams
Press + Publications
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“A dreamlike landscape that takes its cues from the old shade trees and fence posts remaining from the farm that was once here…”-
~Ann Raver, “Vistas and Close-Ups, Staged by a Filmmaker”
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“Breaking ‘traditional’ rules is liberating and opens up alternative possibilities.”
~Duncan Brine’s annual featured Naturalistic Landscape Design Seminar at the NYBG
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A philosophy of “gardening large” instills a sense of personality and place.
— Carleen Madigan, Horticulture Magazine -
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“One of the inherent goals of a naturalistic garden is to conserve resources and reduce our environmental footprint. “
~Duncan Brine, American Gardener Magazine
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“Duncan’s vision is deeply knowledgeable of plants’ habits and needs and he uses them to tell a landscape’s story.”
~Susan Lowry and Nancy Berner, Gardens of the Hudson Valley
The GardenLarge Native Plant Nursery
Sustainable Sourcing For Clients
Unlike most landscape designers, at GardenLarge we source many of the plants we use in our designs and installations directly from our proprietary GardenLarge Native Plant Nursery. This ensures that plantings are of the highest quality and have been tended with the utmost care.
The goal of a naturalistic garden is to idealize and partner with nature’s potential in a given place. Select plants thrive where they are planted.
*indicates indigenous to North America and **indicates indigenous to Duchess County, NY
“A naturalistic garden combines a gardener’s needs and desires with nature’s dictates.”
~Duncan Brine in the American Gardener
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![*Magnolia virginiana Sweetbay Magnolia]()
*Magnolia virginiana Sweetbay Magnolia
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*Catalpa speciosa Northern Catalpa
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**Hydrastis canadensis Goldenseal
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**Actaea racemosa var. racemosa Black Bugbane
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**Vernonia noveboracensis New York Ironweed
GardenLarge at Large
the latest news + updates
Field botanist and member, both philosophically and literally, of the GardenLarge family, Kyle Brine, has been awarded for his work in California's Lassen Volcanic National Park.
None other than Panayoti Kelaidis, aka "PK", Director of Outreach & Senior Curator at the Denver Botanic Gardens and President of the Rock Garden Society, invited Kyle to write for the National American Rock Garden Society (#nargs) Quarterly about his experience in the unique landscape of Lassen and its regenerative ecology in the aftermath of the fire.
“Becoming attuned to recurring natural events deepens our understanding of the intricate workings of ecosystems and gives our gardens meaning that transcends the superficial.”
~Duncan Brine in the American Gardener
BrineGarden
Open Days
We are pleased and proud to open The BrineGarden to the community in collaboration with the Garden Conservancy and their Open Days Program.
The next BrineGarden Open Days will be in 2025!
Let's Work Together
Bring the GardenLarge naturalistic landscape design expertise and
perspective to your Residential
Landscape and Garden Design.
We specialize in:
⚘ Planting, garden care, and project management
⚘ Invasive species control
⚘ Native plant identification and sourcing
⚘ Our native plant nursery